Restoring steering wheel

While smacking your hand into the center of a steering wheel is the generally-accepted default way to sound a car’s horn, there’s been a number of other methods over the years: rings, buttons, stalks, levers—honk-producing actions have been wildly varied. Perhaps one of the greatest yet mostly forgotten ways was an option on many American car brands from 1969 to 1974—the Rim Blow steering wheel. Rim Blow steering wheels were optional on GM cars from 1969 to 1971 (Cadillacs, Oldsmobiles, and Buicks), Ford, Mercury, and Lincolns from 1969 to 1974, Chryslers, Dodges, and Plymouths from 1970 to 1973, and AMCs, even being fitted as standard equipment on the AMX. The way the Rim Blow wheel works can largely be inferred from its name, provided you can get your mind out of the gutter and forget that its name is composed of two of the most well-known slang terms for various forms of oral sexual contact that precede the word “job.” To make the horn blow, you … [Read more...] about This Steering Wheel Found on Many American Cars Had an Unusual Horn Interface and a Dirty-Sounding Name

Register for our free newsletterWhen you hear the terms ‘rare’ and ‘sports car’ put together, what sort of image do they conjour up? A Ferrari F40, perhaps. Or maybe even a McLaren F1. We’d bet that the Skoda brand doesn’t spring to mind – but there’s a reason it should. We were lucky enough to get behind the wheel of the Skoda 1100 OHC Spider recently – one of just two in existence. And apart from the gleaming red bodywork, there’s a lot more going on than meets the eye. You see, the Spider’s history is what makes it particularly special. Back in the early 1950s, Skoda’s motorsport involvement was in a rut. The passenger car side of the business was booming, but as a result of pressure the Czech government put on the carmaker to export its vehicles to other Communist countries, very few people in the brand’s home nation could actually get their hands on a car. As a result, not many people wanted to enter … [Read more...] about Driving a piece of history: Behind the wheel of Skoda’s 1957 1100 OHC Spider

The Memminger Roadster 2.7 is a Bug in looks only. A German Volkswagen restoration shop has come out with its own coachbuilt roadster modeled after the classic Beetle but with a mid-engined powertrain. The Memminger Roadster 2.7 is an open-top two-seater developed in-house by the restorer of original Beetles. Though it looks like one of the classic Bugs, it shares virtually no body panels with the original. Instead, it sits lower, wears sportier fenders, and even has a well-designed spoiler that looks new but stays true to the aesthetic of the old Bug. Underneath the bespoke bodywork is a tube-frame chassis, with MacPherson strut front suspension and a trailing arm setup in the rear. The engine, a 2.7-liter flat-four, is mounted midship and is based on the same motor found in the Porsche 914, Volkswagen Type 4, and Bus. However, the unit has been modified by Memminger to produce 210 horsepower and 182 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission and is, of … [Read more...] about German VW restorer builds custom mid-engine Beetle roadster

The mad wrenches at Brabus know a thing or two about taking a modern Mercedes-Benz and twisting the wick until tremendous power figures are produced. Brabus isn't just about the new metal, as it turns out. The classic car division of the German tuning company exists to breathe new life into older vehicles. You can see this for yourself as a quartet of classic Benzes have recently received the restoration treatment. The results are stunning. Brabus Classic grabbed hold of a 300SL coupe, 300SL Roadster, 280SE 3.5 Cabrio, and a 280SL Pagoda. If you have to pick a group of vintage Mercedes cars to restore, all four of these sit at or near the top of the list. Let's kick this off by examining the legendary 300SL with its gullwing doors. Brabus Classic settled on a light green exterior over a cream interior. The green coloring continues across the instrument panel and perfectly compliments the lighter shades on the leather and steering wheel. Brabus states that a restoration such as this one … [Read more...] about A Mercedes-Benz 300SL restored by Brabus is a thing of beauty

Brabus is not only about putting extra horsepower in Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Recently, the famous aftermarket tuner restored four classic Mercedes cars. The units include the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet, and the Mercedes-Benz 280 SL Pagoda. The autos were given a six-star restoration process… Just because Brabus won’t settle for just five stars, apparently. Here is a quick look at the recent work done by the classic car division of Brabus: Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Around 4,500 hours was poured in returning the 300 SL Gullwing to its pristine condition. The classic Mercedes-Benz was given a baby blue paint-finish and a cream interior. Brabus paid so much attention in rebuilding the engine of the car and its interior design by only using only authentic Mercedes parts. Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster The convertible ended up looking new as Brabus gave it a dark exterior and black soft top … [Read more...] about Four Classic Mercedes Cars Restored by Brabus